Portable elevator.



H J. CARSON.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27. 1916.

1,294,397. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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HUGH J". CARSON, 0F FAIRFAX, MINNESOTA.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 27, 1916. Serial No. 111,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HUGH J. CARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at F airfax, in the county of Renville and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Elevators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a self-contained and portable grain elevator, especially adapted for use on farms for delivering grain into granarics. T o the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like part-s throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of the invention with some parts shown in difierent positions by means of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with some parts removed and some parts diagrammatically illustrated by means of broken lines;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal central section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view in section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates a main frame or base, preferably constructed, as shown, from angle bars rigidly connected and suitably braced. Secured to the frame 1 by U-bolts 2, is a tubular axle 3 on which may be journaled, at will, a pair of truck wheels 4 held in position by cotter pins and dlagrammatically indicated by broken linesin Fig. 2. These truck wheels 4 are provided for transporting the elevator from place to place, but when the elevator is in use, said wheels are removed and the frame 1 lowered onto the ground.

A fan casing 5, having in one side a rectangular eye 6, is rigidly secured transversely of the frame 1 and in an oblique pos1t1on, so as to bring said eye on the uppermost side of the casing. Surrounding the eye 6, is a casing extension 7, having an open outer end and a cover or top plate 8, hinged at 9, for vertical swinging movement. Mounted in the fan casing 55, is a centrifugal fan 10 keyed to a shaft 11, which. extends axially through said casing on the opposite side thereof from the eye 6. This shaft 11 is journaled in bearings 12 on the frame 1 and a belt pulley 13 is keyed to the outer end thereof. The pulley 13 is driven by a belt from a gas engine or other suitable means, not shown. In the top of the fan casing 5, is a grain discharge opening 14 onto which is telescoped a grain discharge spout 15. This spout 15 is held in different oblique positions in the casing 5 by slot and thumb nut-equipped bolt connections 16.

Located at the eye side of the fan casing 5, is a pair of upright angle posts 17 having their lower ends secured by bolts 18 tothe frame 1, with sufficient freedom to permit the upper ends of said post to be adjusted toward and from the fan casing. The upper ends of the posts 17 are secured in different adjustments, with respect to the fan casing 5 for a purpose that will presently appear, by a pair of rods 19 rigidly secured to said casing and having their outer ends provided with screw threads to receive pairs of opposing nuts 20 between which said posts are clamped. Oblique braces 17 are extended between the frame 1 and posts 17 and hold said posts against lateral movement transversely of the machine.

A horizontal shaft 21, which extends at right angles to the shaft 11, is journaled in bearings 22 on the intermediate portions of the posts 17. One end of the conveyer frame 23 is pivoted on the shaft 21 for vertical swinging movement. This conveyor frame 23 comprises a pair of laterally spaced side members, through the inner end portions of which projects the shaft 21. Said shaft 21 affords the pivotal support for the inner end of said frame, and the outer end thereof is supported on a pair of legs 24 secured, one to each of the side members of said frame. The legs 24 are connected by tie bars 25 to hold the outer end portions of the side members of the frame 23 properly spaced. The casing 7 is notched at 7 to receive the inwardly projecting portions of over a pair of rollers 27 and 28. The roller 27 is carried on the shaft 21 and the roller 28 is carried by a shaft 29 journaled in horizontal sliding bearings 30, secured to the outer faces of the side members of the frame 23 by bolts 31, which extend through slots 31 formed in said bearings. Obviously, by adjusting the bearings 30, with respect to the'shaft 21, the conveyer 26 may be placed under the desired tension. The upper run of the conveyer 26 is supported on and travels over a deck 26" secured to the side members of the conveyer frame 23.

The endless conveyer 26 is driven from the fan shaft 11 by the following connections Keyed to the shaft 11, is a pinion 32, which meshes with a gear 33 carried by a shaft 34, which extends parallel to the shaft 21 and is journaled in'bearings 35 on the frame 1. A sprocket chain 36 runs over a relatively small sprocket wheel 37 on the shaft 34 and a relatively large sprocket wheel 38 on the shaft 21. The pivoted end of the conveyor frame 23 extends into the housing extension 7 and the cover 8 loosely rests thereon. When the conveyer frame 23 is raised, the cover 8 is also raised thereby. Oblique tie rods 39 connect the lower end portions of the braces 17 with'the upper end portions of the legs 24.

An open bottom hopper trough 40 is mounted on the upper longitudinal edges of the conveyer frame 23 for horizontal sliding movement toward and from the eye of the fan casing 5. Interlocking joint strips 41 connect the hopper trough 40 to the conveyer frame 23, with freedom for horizontal sliding movement, but hold the same against lifting movement therefrom. If desired, the hopper trough 40 may be entirely removed from the conveyer frame 23 by sliding the same through the outer open end thereof. The open bottom of the hopper trough 40 15 arranged to discharge grain onto the upper run of the conveyer 26 and the flow of grain therethrough is regulated by a feed board 42.

A short arm 43 and a lock lever 44 connect the feed board 42 of the hopper trough 40 for hinge-like movement to regulate the flow of grain from said hopper trough to the conveyer 26. The lever 44 is. located at the outer end of the hopper trough 40 and its free end projects thereabove, where the same can be easily operated. By means of the lever 44, the feed board 42 may be vertically adjusted toivary the openings between its longitudinal edges and the adjacent sides of the hopper trough 40.

By reference to Fig. 7, it will be noted that the side members of the frame 23 are mounted directly on the inwardly projectng portions of the bearings 22 for vertical winging movement. Secured to the brace tructure 25, is a hook 45 provided for se curing the improved elevator to a wagon in transporting the same on its wheels 4.

The operation of the improved port-able elevator may be briefly stated as follows:

When a load of grain in a wagon is to be unloaded, the conveyer frame 23 is first turned into a vertical position, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1. The wagon is then driven past the raised conveyer frame and stopped, with its rear end just far enough away from the conveyer frame to permit the same to be lowered into an operative position. The hopper trough 40 is then adjusted horizontally on the conveyer frame 23 to properly position the same with respect to the wagon, so as to receive the grain when discharged therefrom. The operations thus far described permit the wagon to be positioned, without the necessity of having to back the same.

As the grain is discharged from the wagon into the hopper trough 40, the flow thereof under the conveyer 26, is regulated by the.

feed board 42. Before any of the grain is discharged into the hopper trough 40, the fan and conveyer are started and after the fan has reached the required speed, the end gate of the wagon is opened and the grain allowed to flow into the hopper trough 40. The air for the fan 10 is taken from above and below the conveyer 26' and the grain discharged from the said conveyer is sucked into the fan casing 5 by the fan, where it is caught by the blades thereof and thrown through the opening 14. From thence, the grain thrown from one blade of the fan will be blown by the force of the air from the fan of the next following blade through the spout 15, and into the granary. It is, of course, understood that other spout sections, one of which may be flexible, can be added to the spout 15. By mounting the fan'casing 5 in an oblique position and connecting the spout 15 thereto for oblique adjustments with respect thereto, the grain is discharged from the spout 15 to enter the granary at the required angle to deposit the same where wanted.

The desired tension may be placed on the chain 36 by adjusting the nuts 20 on the rods 19 to move the posts 17, and hence, the sprocket wheel 38 carried thereby. The cover 8 permits the conveyer frame 23 to be raised and lowered, at will, and automati eally closes, under the action of gravity, when said frame is moved to an operative position, and does not require any attention from the operator.

The above described invention, has, in actual usage, proven highly efiicient for the purpose had in view.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a frame, of a fan casing mounted on the frame and having on one of its sides an extension with an eye opening therein, said extension having a hinged section, a conveyer frame having its delivery end extended into said extension and pivotally secured for swinging movement to and from an operative position, the hinged section of said extension permitting such movement of the conveyer frame, a conveyer mounted in the conveyer frame, a fan mounted in the fan casing to which the conveyer delivers grain through said eye, said fan casing havin a discharge spout, and means for driving t e conveyer and fan.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base, a fan casing mounted thereon and provided with a discharge spout, and a fan mounted in the fan casing, of a pair of posts pivoted to the base, a conveyer frame supported in part from the posts, a conveyer mounted in the conveyer frame and arranged to discharge into the fan casing, driving connections for the conveyer including a stationary wheel, a shaft, a wheel on the shaft and a belt arranged to run over said two wheels, said shaft being journaled in bearings on the posts, and means for adjusting the posts to tighten or loosen said belt.

In testimony whereof I. aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH J. CARSON. Witnesses:

FRANK HOPKINS, GLADYS HOPKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

